Tips to Conserve Water

by ciaran123 in Issues, October 17, 2009

Water is an essential component of life that is in short supply throughout the world. We all need to reduce water use so that we can cope with a dwindling water supply.

The importance of this of our water resources and the depletion of the world supply was highlighted by a recent television broadcast, the first from space. It is essential that awareness of this problem is increased if we are to ensure that we can cope with future water demands. Guy Laliberte, a Canadian billionaire and founder of Cirque du Soleil, used his two hour performance to highlight a serious issue.

The increasing human population of the planet means that there is an ever increasing demand for water. There are many solutions suggested for this problem, such as the selling of glacial water (an idea touched upon in the film ‘Brewster’s Millions’ and further advanced by Greenland), but the most immediate and effective solution to increased demands on water supplies are more stringent controls on water use. There are many things that individual households can do to reduce the amount of water that they use, reducing their water and heating bills whilst doing their bit to safeguard water supplies. Here are just a few tips:

Running taps waste water. By fixing dripping taps quickly, and by avoiding the use of running water when we do things like brushing our teeth or washing dishes; we can make significant savings.
Try to avoid heating more water than you need to use. Don’t fill the kettle to make one cup of coffee or tea, try to ensure that you boil only the small amount of water that you need.
Having a shower will save more water than having a bath, but you should also remember that having a shorter showers will save even more water!
Consider flow regulators or aerators (like the one shown above) on taps and on showerheads, or a water-saving bag in a toilet cistern.
A water butt in the garden could be used to collect rain water, and then perhaps use a watering can to give water to flowers and plants. You may not need to use a hose to do something like wash a car, consider using a bucket and sponge where you can.